Welcome to Backyard Ecology
Nature isn’t just “out there.” It’s all around us, including right outside our doors. Join us as we ignite our curiosity and natural wonder, explore our yards and communities, and improve our local pollinator and wildlife habitat.
Do you want to…
🦋 learn more about the native plants, pollinators, wildlife, and other organisms that call your yard and community home?
🦋 create an eco-friendly yard that is full of life, but still provides places to play with your kids, grandkids, fur babies, or friends?
🦋 have your landscaping to be accepted by your neighbors and an inspiration for others?
🦋 reduce your yard maintenance so you have time to enjoy other things in your life?
🦋 be a good steward of your land and leave a legacy that includes making the world an ecologically better place?
Are you…
🦋 feeling overwhelmed?
🦋 unsure where to start or what to do next?
🦋 frustrated by the overly generalized, overly simplified, and often polarized information available online, in social media, and other locations?
🦋 searching for a balanced approach that considers your unique goals, property, and circumstances?
We get it. That’s why we created Backyard Ecology.
We want to help you…
🦋 have fun learning about the plants, pollinators, and wildlife that can be found in your yard and community.
🦋 transform your yard from a pollinator no fly zone and ecological desert to a miniature ecosystem brimming with pollinators and wildlife!
🦋 get expert habitat creation and management advice that is tailored for your unique goals and situation.
🦋 join a community of other members who share your love of nature and desire to leave a positive ecological legacy.
🦋 become a good steward of your land.
You can make a positive ecological difference, have fun doing it, and still enjoy the lifestyle that you want. Backyard Ecology can help you.
Our focus on the eastern U.S. means that the information we share is applicable to you and where you live. We also meet you where you are at in your ecological journey and will be there as your needs change.
Become a Backyard Ecologist
🦋 Just looking for science informed information about native plants, pollinators, wildlife, and our local ecosystems? Check out our free blog, podcast, and YouTube channel. We even have a free weekly newsletter that will help you explore the nature in your backyard and build a thriving ecosystem.
🦋 Want to go deeper and learn new skills related to ecology and habitat management? Take one of our courses or join a group coaching program.
🦋 Looking for ongoing support and a community of other nature lovers interested in learning about and improving their local ecosystem? Join our membership community.
We’re here to help you cut through the overwhelm, frustration, and lack of direction so you can create a pollinator and wildlife oasis on your property, become a good steward of your land, and leave a positive ecological legacy. You don’t have to do this alone.
Backyard Ecology’s Guiding Principles:
🦋 Curiosity: Nature is fun, interesting, and worth exploring. We will never know everything. Answers lead to more questions. That’s half the fun.
🦋 Balanced: You don’t have to choose. You can support nature AND the lifestyle you desire.
🦋 Science informed: Habitat creation and management should be based on the latest scientific research available.
🦋 Stewardship: Anyone can make a positive difference in the natural world and leave an ecological legacy on their property.
Our Gift to You
Did you know that garden hardiness zones are unimportant when it comes to gardening with native plants?
If you’re like most people, then probably not. But when it comes to growing native plants, ecoregions are more important than the more familiar plant hardiness zones.
Learn more in our e-book, An Introduction to Gardening with Native Plants: Hardiness Zones and Ecoregions. It’s our gift to you to help you on your ecological journey.
Thank you to our Patrons who provide monthly financial support!
Megan Amaral, Julie Krygier, Lizabeth, Russel Furnari, Crystal Robinson, Linda Sonntag, Karen Veleta, Linda Relson, Kevin B, Sally Mirick, Richard Hitt, Crystal Dyamonds, Mitchell Bell, Laura Hunt, Sue Ann Barnes, Adrienne Richardson, J. Adam Perkey, Ariel, Cara Flinn, Diana Tsoy, David Todd, Sandra O, Darrell Williams, LaVonne Fitts, Cathy, and William Morin.